Boston Bruins: What does Kevan Miller’s potential return mean for Connor Clifton?

Kevan Miller started to practice with the Boston Bruins, so he’ll likely return soon from injury. Will he replace Connor Clifton in the lineup?

The Boston Bruins remain one of the top teams in the league, thanks in part to depth on defense. This defense is set to be even deeper in the near future when Kevan Miller comes back from injury. Miller’s return can have an impact on a young player like Connor Clifton.

Miller, who only played 39 games last year, started to skate with the Bruins in late October. He made progress and then took another step in his comeback earlier this week when he was a full participant in practice.

Given his extended absence, Miller will likely need significant practice time with his teammates before he’s ready for game action. That said, he’s set to make his return sooner rather than later.

So, what exactly is the plan for Miller?

Miller has over 300 games of NHL experience as he enters his seventh season with Boston. As such, he’s more than a seventh defenseman who will spend time in the press box. Instead, he needs to be on the ice.

The problem is that the Bruins, unless there’s an injury, already have seven NHL-caliber defensemen on the roster. Four of the seven are right shots like Miller. So, one or two of them have to go when Miller comes back.

More from Bruins News

• Bruins release Prospects Challenge roster, schedule Tuesday
• Bruins bringing back familiar forward on tryout contract
• The Bruins should take a look at these four free agents
• NHL Network lists Ullmark as sixth-best goalie in the league
• The Lasting Legacy of David Krejci

The obvious scenario is that the Bruins waive Steven Kampfer. Kampfer’s a decent depth piece, but he’s not somebody who can consistently play in the lineup.

Miller can then take Kampfer’s spot on the roster when Boston activates him from injured reserve. Miller’s cap hit is $2.5 million, so the Bruins might have to do some cap maneuvering to make everything work.

That doesn’t totally solve the problem because, like we mentioned before, Miller is a capable starter. He won’t be a healthy scratch most nights like Kampfer. What’s the next step?

At least at first, expect Miller to contend with Connor Clifton for a spot on the third pair. Clifton’s been decent this year, but he’s been far from perfect. He only averages 15:33 time on ice, which is low for a defenseman.

Miller, once he gets his legs under him, should be a more reliable option than Clifton. He has more experience, so he’ll likely make fewer turnovers or mistakes in coverage. Plus, Miller brings a physical element to the defense that the Bruins lack.

With Miller back in the lineup, Clifton will likely be a healthy scratch more often than not. This might not be a bad thing at first, as it will help Clifton see the game from a different viewpoint. But, the Bruins need Clifton to play so he can continue to develop. He is only 24 after all.

Clifton therefore may see some time in Providence. He is waivers exempt, which gives Boston the option to move him down without any team claiming him. How the Bruins choose to take advantage of the Providence option, however, remains to be seen.

The Bruins can keep Clifton on the NHL roster and then send him down for conditioning stints. He might, for example, see NHL action every other week and then get weekend game or down down in Providence.

Another option for Boston is to keep Kampfer as the seventh defenseman and send Clifton to Providence on a more permanent basis. This could work once Miller proves he’s healthy and capable of a full workload.

No matter what the Bruins choose to do with Clifton, he’ll get ice time in Boston or Providence.

Don’t be surprised, however, to see Clifton stick around and be in Boston more often than not. There are usually injuries on the backend, something we already see with Torey Krug. Clifton’s a perfect injury replacement.

Also, Miller, even after he rejoins the team, is an injury-risk. He’s never played a full season, so there’s no guarantee he’ll finish the year healthy.

The Bruins will soon have more than six healthy, NHL-level defensemen. This is a good problem to have, especially for a team that wants to contend for a champion. Nevertheless, it does make GM Don Sweeney’s job a little more uncomfortable.